Written by Jessica Patella, ND. In a study of 78 patients that sustained a stroke, 3 g of astragulus three times daily for 14 days resulted in significant improvement in expression, social interaction, problem solving and memory. Recovery improvements were also seen in the participants’ ability to groom, bathe, shower, dress the lower body and use the toilet.
There are two main types of stokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke is due to a clot that blocks a vessel supplying blood to the brain, stopping blood flow to the brain (1). A hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain, often from an aneurysm, and floods the brain tissue with blood (1). A hemorrhagic stroke is less common but is more likely to result in death or severe disability after discharge from the hospital (1, 2). A recent pilot study found that supplementing with the herb Astragalus membranaceus within 24 hours of a hemorrhagic stroke improved recovery (2).
The research included 78 participants who randomly received either Astragalus or placebo. All participants had sustained their first hemorrhagic stroke (2). Participants in the astragalus group received oral or nasopharyngeal administration of 3 grams of astragalus, three times per day, for 14 days, starting within 24 hours after the stroke (2). The participants in the placebo group received placebo supplementation according to the same schedule as the astragalus group (2).
A total of 68 participants completed the trial, with 3 participants dropping out of the astragalus group (n=36; 1 died) and 6 participants dropping out of the placebo group (n=32; 3 died) (2).
Results from the Functional Independence Measure Scale, which assesses physical and cognitive disability, were as follows:
- The astragalus group achieved a significantly greater difference than the placebo group between baseline and week 4 for: comprehension (P< 0.05), expression (P< 0.05), social interaction (P< or equal to 0.01), problem solving (P< 0.05), and memory (P<0.05) (2).
- The astragalus group also achieved a significantly greater difference than the placebo group compared to baseline for: grooming, bathing/showering, dressing lower body and toileting at week 4 (P< or equal to 0.01, P<0.05, P<0.05, P< or equal to 0.01 respectively), and at week 12 (all values were P < 0.05) (2).
Results from the Glasgow Outcome Scale, which is a scale that is used in brain injuries or traumas to rate or predict long-term outcome and likelihood of recovery, were as follows, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best outcome:
- The score at baseline was 3.25 ± 0.91 for the astragalus group, and 3.13 ± 0.83 for the placebo group, with the difference between the groups not being significant (P> 0.05).
- The difference in score between baseline and week 12 was 0.75 ± 0.77 for the astragalus group, and 0.41 ± 0.50 for the placebo group, with the difference between the groups being significant (P< 0.05), showing improvement from baseline (2).
In conclusion, Astragalus membranaceus showed improvement in recovery after a hemorrhagic stroke, if started within the first 24 hours of the stroke event (2). Improvements were observed in comprehension, expression, social interaction, problem solving and memory. Recovery improvements were also seen in the participants’ ability to groom, bathe, shower, dress the lower body and use the toilet (2). This was the first study of its kind and future research with more participants over a longer period of time should be conducted.
It is believed that the mechanism of action of astragalus in improving recovery of stroke patients is through decreasing brain tissue swelling. A hemorrhagic stroke results in internal bleeding in the brain, swelling and neurological deterioration. Therapy with astragalus has the effect of reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which indicates that it can decrease swelling and improve the patient’s prognosis. (3)
Source: Chen et al.Chinese Herb Astragalus membranaceus Enhances Recovery of Hemorrhagic Stroke: Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Volume 2012, Article ID 708452, 11 pages; doi:10.1155/2012/708452
© 2012 Chun-Chung Chen et al. Creative Commons Attribution License
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Posted March 29, 2013.
Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.
References:
- American Stroke Association. Types of Stroke.
- Chun-Chung C, et al. Chinese Herb Astragalus membranaceus Enhances Recovery of Hemorrhagic Stroke: Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study. 2012 Evid-Based Comp and Alt Med. doi:10.1155/2012/708452
- Zhang WJ, Hufnagl P, Binder BR, Wojta J. Antiinflammatory activity of astragaloside IV is mediated by inhibition of NF-κB activation and adhesion molecule expression. Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2003;90(5):904–914.
